Cancer screening behaviors among Korean-American women

The goals of this study were to evaluate breast and cervical cancer screeni ng tests and to examine the correlates of cancer screening behaviors. A cro ss-sectional face-to-face survey of 438 Korean-American women residing in M aryland was conducted. About 50% of women age 18 and older had had a Pap sm ear and 46.6% of these women age 40 and older had had a mammogram in the pa st 2 years. In multiple logistic regression analyses, the strongest correla te of screening behaviors was having a regular medical checkup. Age and acc ulturation were found to be important correlates of cancer screening tests: Women less than 50 years of age were more likely to have cancer screening tests than those 50 years and older. English language proficiency was assoc iated with having a mammogram and the proportion of life spent in the Unite d States was associated with having a Pap smear. Employment interacted with marital status for a Pap smear, with those married and unemployed being le ss likely to have a Pap smear than women who were both married and employed . For strategies to increase cancer-screening tests among Korean-American w omen, we need to aim at developing culturally appropriate educational progr ams about cancer for less acculturated and recent immigrants.